


Acceleration

by sara_merry99



Series: The Adrenaline Series [2]
Category: Knight Rider (1982)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-31 02:05:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6451177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sara_merry99/pseuds/sara_merry99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You might be surprised to hear this, but you have charms of your own that she can't even come close to."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Acceleration

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This is a sequel to my story Adrenaline and won't make much sense if you haven't read that one first.   
> Betas: Many thanks to sassyinkpen for a perfectly brilliant beta, to tygermama for putting up with the flood of random emails that are apparently part of the gestation of these stories, and to valis2 for the all-important alpha read to make sure I'm on the right track, or at least not on the wrong one.  
> Note: Written for the smallfandomfest, prompt "maintenance".

# Acceleration

The goodnight kiss was short and sweet and as chaste as Michael could make it without hurting Mindy's feelings. "I'd better get going," he said, gesturing over his shoulder toward the road. "Work tomorrow." 

With a suggestive press of her body against his, Mindy said, "You're sure you can't stay for a little bit? I could make you a cup of coffee," she flicked a look up at him through her eyelashes, "or a nightcap." 

It was a tempting offer. She was beautiful, curvaceous, intelligent, and clearly very willing. He caressed her hair with the backs of his fingers, following the line of one golden wave from her cheek down to her collar bone. His hand cupped her shoulder, then he leaned in for another kiss, far less chaste this time. When she responded by melting into him, her desire evident in her hum of pleasure, he slid his hand further down to her breast, the soft roundness only accentuated by the silky material of her dress. When he eased out of the kiss, a long minute later, he said, "Maybe I'll take that nightcap after all," and pulled her into another long slow kiss. A very tempting offer.

While she was making the drinks, Michael walked to a corner of the living room and spoke into his wrist communicator. "KITT, are you okay with this?" He winced as soon as he asked, wondering what the hell he was doing. What did he expect, or want, to hear? Why was he even asking? 

"Of course, Michael," KITT said. "Why wouldn't I be?" Michael was saved from answering that question when KITT went on, "However, do I need to remind you that you're meeting with the CEO of Xentech tomorrow morning at eight? I don't think either of us wants to try and explain to Devon if you aren't there on time." His voice was completely normal, aggravatingly so, and Michael knew whatever answer he'd wanted, that wasn't it.

Ignoring his flash of hurt irritation, Michael just said, "I remember," before breaking the communication. He turned to look at Mindy, who was across the room. He watched as she dimmed the lights, one lamp at a time, the curve of her breast silhouetted through the thin fabric of her dress as she bent down over a table lamp. Their eyes met when she glanced up and the smile she gave him was blatantly seductive. He turned to look out the front window toward the dark street. 

KITT was out there in the night, parked around the corner of the building, waiting. Michael refused to wonder what he was thinking, especially since it was apparently about the case and their meeting with Franklin the next morning. He turned back to Mindy as she walked next to him and offered him a glass. He smiled, or thought he did, but when he took his drink, she caressed his cheek with her fingertip, cold from the icy glass, from his temple to his jaw. "Everything okay? You're tense." 

He took a swallow of his drink instead of answering, the bourbon burning pleasantly in his throat. It was just enough distraction from his thoughts, and maybe enough alcohol, to bring his mind back to the beautiful woman in front of him. He pulled her close with an arm around her waist and smiled. "Everything's fine," he said, "just thinking about work." Mindy made a cute little pout, so he kissed her quickly and said, "It won't happen again. I promise." 

"See that it doesn't," she said, with a wicked smile, then grew serious for a moment. "I know you're going to ride off on your trusty steed in the morning, Michael, but I want all of you tonight." She traced a cool line with her finger along his jaw and down his chest to the top button of his shirt. 

****

When he left several hours later, he told himself the relief he was feeling as he slipped out of Mindy's house was satisfaction. She was sleeping peacefully, and he was glad to be going. He pulled the door closed quietly behind him and put on his coat as he trotted around the corner of the house to where KITT was parked in the shadow of an overhanging tree. His scanner was tracking more rapidly than normal, and Michael wondered what that meant, if anything. 

"Hey, buddy," he said as he approached. "Everything okay out here?" 

"Hello, Michael," KITT said, sounding surprised. "I wasn't aware you had left Miss Rockwell's." 

Michael opened the door and climbed into the car. "Something going on?" he asked as he started the ignition. 

"I was running a diagnostic on one of my floating circuits," KITT said, in his most matter of fact voice. "It's been returning some puzzling values." 

Michael shifted KITT back into park. "A diagnostic? Are you okay, pal?" He leaned forward and wrapped his arms across the open top of the steering wheel, resting his chin on his crossed arms. 

"Apparently. All of the results of the test were within normal tolerances." KITT scrolled some numbers on the monitor, too fast for Michael to read. 

Michael stared at the screen, his gaze remaining there long after the words had faded away into nothing but a faint glow, wondering when this had started. Before or after the Brewster case. Before or after KITT found him in the desert. Helped him... Helped him. He huffed out a sharp breath. Shit, he didn't even know the right word for it--blew his mind was more like it. His skin tingled just at the thought of the electrical touch, but it was the memory of KITT murmuring his name so softly that made him hope the dim light hid the warm flush on his cheeks. 

KITT's voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Michael, I assure you I'm fine."

Michael leaned back in the seat and pulled out into the street, saying, "I believe you. But I think Bonnie should check you over anyway." Before KITT could object he held up his hand and said, "I know, I know, you're smarter than any of her computers. But I'd still like a second opinion." 

****

They met up with the semi late the next afternoon and as soon as KITT stopped, Michael was half out the door, "Bonnie, KITT needs a diagnostic." 

"Michael, really," KITT said, but Michael waved him quiet. 

"Is there something wrong?" Bonnie asked, as she hurried over, wiping her hands on a towel. 

"No," KITT said, before Michael could respond. "Michael's overreacting." 

"Overreacting to what?" Bonnie asked, turning from KITT to Michael and fixing him with a pointed stare. 

"He said he was getting some strange readings from one of his floating circuits," Michael said.

"Which circuit?" Bonnie asked as she picked up one of her instruments, her voice sharp with impatience and worry. 

"As I told Michael, I'm fine. I ran a self-diagnostic last night and all the readings were within the normal range of expected results. Nothing is out of the ordinary," KITT said, an odd note of confusion in his voice at the end. Michael looked at him curiously, but Bonnie gave no sign of noticing, and KITT went on quickly, voice more firm than before, "Honestly, Bonnie, it's not like you to take his word over mine." 

"Hey," Michael said, warming his fake bluster with a genuine chuckle. 

As Bonnie slid into the driver's seat, brandishing her instrument like a weapon, she said, "I'm not taking his word or yours, KITT. I'm going to check for myself." 

He stood and listened to them bickering for a while, smiling at the familiarity of it. Soon though, Devon caught Michael's eye and called him over. "How did your meeting with Franklin go this morning?" 

"Fine." Michael settled into one of the plush chairs and gave Devon a rundown of his earlier conversation, finishing with, "I believe him about Mr. Ortiz, but he lied about not knowing anything about the deaths in Villa Lobos." 

"Lied, are you certain?" 

"KITT is," Michael said, glancing back over his shoulder at his friend. Bonnie was still in the driver's seat, but there was no sign that she was working. She'd leaned back in the seat, his seat, and had her eyes closed. Michael swallowed hard and turned back to Devon. "He says Franklin's pulse sped up and his body temperature increased by almost half a degree when I mentioned the villagers." 

Devon's face grew solemn, and he asked "How do you intend to proceed?" 

"I want to check out the Xentech offices tonight, see if I can find anything on the Villa Lobos research project in their files," Michael said. 

"Very well," Devon said, half rising out of his chair. He sat back down when looked over in the direction of KITT and Bonnie. Michael didn't follow his eyes. "It appears that Bonnie's going to be a while," Devon said with a twinkle in his eye that made Michael's teeth clench, "we should have plenty of time to go over these expense reports from the Marnie Brewster case. In specific, I don't see why the Foundation should pay for this restaurant dinner." Devon's long hands turned a piece of paper on his desk so that Michael could read it. 

"I had to take Marnie out to dinner," Michael said, keeping his voice from sounding as defensive as he felt. "To discuss the case." 

"Michael, this dinner was the evening after the case was closed," Devon said, with a voice of wounded reason. "How could it possibly have been foundation business?"

"She was drugged with the same cocktail I was. I just wanted to make sure she was okay," Michael said, eyes still on the paper. He and Marnie had spent the night together, Marnie's son Josh sleeping one room over forcing them to be as quiet as possible. In the silent heat of her bedroom and her arms, all he could think of was the play of KITT's electric field over his skin. With a shake of his head, he focused himself on Devon and the discussion at hand, "And KITT was concerned about Josh." 

Devon argued, as expected, and they went back and forth for longer than Michael had imagined possible. Devon was, apparently, prepared to argue over a ten dollar dinner all the way back to the mansion. For his part, Michael didn't want to turn around and see if Bonnie had the same reaction to KITT's new theft deterrent that he had. Couldn't bear really to think about it. So Michael continued to argue until he heard KITT's door open and shut before finally giving in. 

****

"Michael, wake up. Michael!" KITT's voice was loud, almost frantic, and close, pulling Michael out of a wavering blackness. It sounded like KITT was right overhead, but that didn't make any sense at all. The last thing Michael remembered was being in Franklin's office photographing files and KITT's warning that two men with guns were closing in on him. He rolled to his side, swallowing the wave of nausea that came over him as he moved, and sat up, trying to catch his breath. The air was dusty and thick and he waved his hand to try and clear it so he could breathe without coughing. 

Michael leaned back against the nearest solid surface, surprised to find that it was KITT. In Franklin's office. "Hey, buddy," he said with a feeble pat on the side of the car. "What happened?"

"Thank goodness you're okay," KITT said, relief clear in his voice. "Franklin's on his way to the airport. We've got to go. I'll explain on the way."

Using KITT for support, Michael pulled himself to his feet and practically collapsed into the drivers' seat. Once inside the car, away from the dusty air, his head cleared some and he took in the destruction around him. The desk was smashed between KITT and the wall, the filing cabinets tipped over and spilling papers into the rubble. Even the far wall had been smashed through, the receptionist's desk visible through the broken plaster. "You sure did a number on this place," he said, as KITT backed out through the wreckage of concrete and rebar. 

"They were about to shoot you," KITT said, with uncharacteristic brevity. He wheeled around in a tight turn and took off toward the road. 

Michael raised an eyebrow, surprised KITT hadn't thought of a less destructive way to stop them, but still he smiled to himself and said, "Thanks, partner. I owe you." 

"I'll add it to your account," KITT said, dryly, as he pulled onto the road outside the Xentech office with a squeal of tire on pavement as he accelerated. 

Touched by the sentiment he knew the words hid, Michael's smiled broadened, and he was chuckling as he switched to Manual Mode. As soon as he had control, he pushed for even more speed and KITT responded to his press on the gas pedal with a smooth burst of power that cleared the last of the cobwebs from Michael's head. "Can we beat them to the airport?" Michael asked. 

A moment later KITT said, "Not a chance. The odds are also very much against us getting there before their plane takes off." 

Michael swore and smacked the steering wheel with his hand, then asked, "Do you know where they're going?" 

"Yes, Villa Lobos. I just heard Franklin on the radio. They're going to torch the whole village," KITT said, his voice edged with concern. 

"Not if we can help it," Michael said, spinning the wheel hard and locking the breaks to throw them into a drifting U-turn in the middle of the road. "Plot us a course to Villa Lobos, KITT. Stay off the main roads. We've got to beat that plane." He punched the button for Pursuit Mode and watched with satisfaction as the speedometer ticked up toward three hundred miles per hour. 

****

The Mexican police were barely out of sight with Franklin and his hired arsonists, when Michael found himself alone with Rosarita Ruados. She stretched to kiss him quickly, then again with more heat. "You will stay?" she asked, giving him a warm smile and a flirtatious glance through her long lashes. "Senor Miles will let you stay and help us dig a new well, no? That will only take a few days." 

Michael knew she was probably right. The Foundation was already planning a grant to the village to rebuild some of their lost infrastructure and Devon would be happy to support that with help of a more physical kind. As long as Michael was the one with the shovel in his hands, anyway. Rosarita brushed her hand over his arm, a momentary caress that could have been accidental but wasn't, then ran her hand through her own dark hair, pulling a curl across her cheek to her burgundy lips. She was beautiful, and had the kind of fire he admired in a woman, but this time he wasn't even tempted to stay. He wanted to get on the road again.

With a shake of his head, Michael said, "You don't know Devon. He's already sent me my next assignment. I've got to be in Phoenix tomorrow evening." He put his hands on her waist and pulled her into a deep kiss, just long enough to be flattering. "It's a real shame I have to go," he lied, looking her in the eye. 

Two minutes later, he and KITT were kicking up a cloud of dust behind them on the dirt road that lead back to the United States. "Why did you lie to Senorita Ruados, Michael?" KITT asked. "We haven't gotten our next assignment yet. And when I spoke to him earlier, Devon said we didn't need to report until Monday. He's quite pleased with the outcome of this case." 

"Yeah, I know," Michael said, "Let's just say I didn't want to stay." 

"You didn't want to stay with a beautiful woman? I'm surprised at you," KITT said. 

"I don't always, you know," Michael said, though the evidence of the last couple of weeks since the Brewster case gave that the lie. Rosarita was the first woman he had walked away from since that night. "I'd rather be with you than digging a well anyway, partner." 

"That goes without saying," KITT said, sounding pleased despite the words. "But I don't think I can compete with Senorita Ruados's other charms." 

Michael smiled and, with a glance at KITT's voice panel, made a decision he didn't even realize he'd been contemplating. He said with complete honesty, "You might be surprised to hear this, but you have charms of your own that she can't even come close to." It wasn't the approach to this conversation he'd have chosen, but he knew an opening when he saw one and he took it. 

KITT was quiet for just long enough that Michael wondered if he'd made a mistake, then said, "I was wondering if you were going to bring that up." 

"If you don't want me to, we can drop the subject right now and I'll never mention it again," Michael offered. He shifted his hands on the steering wheel, preparing to turn back to Villa Lobos if KITT told him to drop it. Not for Rosarita; he didn't want her any more than he had Mindy or Marnie or Sue. But if KITT slammed a door in his face, he'd need a little time to regroup before the long drive back to the States.

"I'm gratified that you put my charms on the same level as hers," KITT said, speaking more slowly than usual, as if he were considering every word. 

"Not the same level, KITT. After all, I'm here with you instead of there with her," Michael said, relaxing again, since it seemed like KITT wasn't going to shut this down after all. At least not just yet. 

"Yes. You are at that. Is this what you want?" he asked, as a trill of energy raced up one of Michael's arms and down the other. 

Michael gasped at the unexpected sensation, his nipples hard so fast that they ached with pleasure, but despite his breathlessness, he said, "Yes, but first I need to ask you..." He paused for a second, catching his breath and his thoughts, but even with the little bit of time he took, the question he actually asked surprised him. "What were you doing with Bonnie in the semi yesterday?" 

If KITT was surprised, he didn't show it in any way. "Her back was hurting her, so I used the electrical stimulation as a form of massage. Physical therapists use a similar technology. Though with far less precision, of course." 

"So you weren't...?" Michael waved his hand rather than finishing the question, hoping that KITT would know where he was going. 

"Jealousy, Michael? I'm flattered," KITT said, cutting to the point with his usual insight. Then his voice dropped a little, the arch tone disappearing entirely. "I did try to stimulate her in the same manner I did you, accounting for the physiological differences between men and women of course, which make..." 

"KITT," Michael said through clenched teeth.

"Very well. After 28.46 seconds it was clear that while I was, in fact, affecting her in the intended manner, I had no desire to continue," KITT said, "so I resumed a strictly pain-relieving massage until she declared that her back felt much better. Whereupon she ran her diagnostics on me, got the same results I did, naturally, and you and Devon finished your interminable discussion of your dinner with Ms. Brewster." 

Michael smiled as the end of that sentence rolled by, but held to the most important part of it when he asked, "So would you desire...with me?" 

KITT's response was another breath-stealing flash of electricity over Michael's skin. "Yes," he said, his voice dropping so it was as much a caress as the flow of energy. KITT shifted the current in a swirling pattern from Michael's chest to his toes and back, circling around but never touching Michael's cock, which was hardening fast under the stimulation. "May I take control?" KITT asked, as a stray curl of electricity passed around under Michael's balls, making him moan and gasp. 

"You've got it," Michael said, through his hard breaths. When he saw that KITT had switched to Auto Mode, he dropped one of his hands to cup himself through his jeans, sighing at the pressure on his aching length. KITT kept his electrical touch flowing around, lighting the pulses of energy apparently randomly from Michael's nipple, to a sensitive spot on his lower belly, to the creases of his hips, so that Michael never knew where KITT would touch next, never knew where to expect the flickering movement, never knew if it would be a light caress or a jolt of pleasure. 

When the pressure of his hand wasn't enough, he fumbled his cock out of his jeans, spreading the pre-come around with light fingertip touches, trying to emulate KITT's overwhelming delicacy, but he couldn't even come close to it. "KITT, dammit, touch me, please," he moaned, sliding a hand from his hip, where KITT was pulsing a point of sharply erotic energy, to his cock. Trying to guide KITT's attention to where he needed it.

"Not just yet," KITT said in a voice like a purr, but he allowed a faint touch of energy to run over the back of Michael's hand, one edge of it just brushing along the shaft for a moment. 

With a groan of frustration, Michael gave up on delicacy and gripped himself tightly, stroking hard and fast, in time with KITT's electrical movements. KITT's touches sped up and intensified, swirling in on Michael's cock and hand. The points of erotic energy coalesced into a thrill of pleasure that ran the length of Michael's cock, in counterpoint to his own hand flying along it. The combination of KITT's electrical touch and his own hand overwhelmed his senses and sent Michael tumbling over the edge, shouting KITT's name. 

"Michael, oh, yes," KITT said, in that low caressing voice, as he gentled the electric current over Michael's skin into a relaxing flow. 

Michael stretched and as he did so, KITT reclined the seat for him, making it into the comfortable bed he was so used to. Michael rested for a while in a satisfied haze, the flow of energy a soothing wave of gentle contact, until the sweat on his skin chilled him. Just at the moment he noticed the cold, KITT started warming the cabin. But his shiver broke the spell of the moment and Michael sat up, stripping off his come-spattered T-shirt and wiping himself off with it. 

When he'd cleaned up as much as possible without asking KITT to pull over, putting on a fresh T-shirt and zipping up his jeans about all he could manage, he lay back in the seat again, arms crossed under his head, and asked, "Do I want to ask how you got to be so good at that?" 

"Jealousy again? I'm surprised." KITT said, his voice completely normal. "I assure you it's completely unnecessary. I simply monitor your reactions, vocalizations, blood flow, heart rate, respiration, the hydraulic pressure in your..."

"KITT," Michael said, fixing KITT's voice panel with as stern a look as he could muster in his contented afterglow.

KITT went on, without a pause, as if expecting the interruption, "Making the experience pleasurable for you isn't as difficult as you appear to think. You're very open in your responses. I imagine that's a large part of your appeal with women." 

"I thought it was my natural good looks and charm," Michael said, trying to deflect the conversation, though from what he wasn't sure.

"If you insist," KITT said, "I won't bother arguing with you." 

Michael grinned, grateful for KITT's response, so typical of their life on the road together. In the rush of gratitude and warmth, he offered, "How many times can you beat me at chess between here and the border?"

"More than you'll have patience for," KITT said, displaying a chessboard on the screen and moving one of his pawns as he was speaking. "But I suggest that we stop in Ensenada. We'll be arriving in one hour and twenty-seven minutes and I recall you mentioning a restaurant that you like."

"They do great fish tacos there," Michael mused. "We could get carry-out. I know this perfect place to watch the sunset from the beach..." His voice trailed away, the impossibility of it all hitting him hard as he realized he was thinking in terms of beach blankets and a driftwood fire in the sand. He left the words hanging there, not at all sure what do to with that thought, and turned to the chess game instead. "Pawn to king's four, KITT."

*** End ***


End file.
